A channel is a “gathering place” for IRC users and is either public (anyone can join) or private (users must use a password to gain entry or only invitees can join). Users can join more than one channel at a time or create their own channels. Channel names are strings of characters beginning with a “#” or “&.”

The first person that joins a channel effectively creates it and is, at least initially, in charge of the channel as a channel operator (“channel-op”). A channel will remain open until the last user exits. Channel operators control the channel settings and can designate other users as channel operators. By default, a channel is public. Any user can type a notice to send to a public channel, acquire a list of its users, or join the conversation. Users can easily be located on IRC unless a user’s mode is set to “invisible.”

Channel operators can change the characteristics of their channel by changing the mode settings. Some set­tings allow operators to —